Pollo en Salsa Roja con Papas (Chicken and Potatoes in Red Salsa)
Chicken thighs and potatoes braised in red chilli salsa until tender, served with fresh lime and coriander rice.
Made with Salsa roja (cooked red salsa) and Cilantro lime rice. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time55 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £3.73 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Season the chicken thighs well with salt. Heat the oil in a wide, lidded pan over a medium-high heat and brown the chicken, skin side down first, for 5 minutes a side. Lift onto a plate.
10 min - 2
In the same pan, cook the onion for 4 minutes until soft, scraping up the browned bits.
4 min - 3
Pour in your ready made salsa roja (see the base recipe) and the water, and stir. Return the chicken to the pan and add the potatoes and carrots, pushing them into the sauce.
- 4
Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through with no pink and the potatoes are tender.
33 min 20 s - 5
Take the lid off for the last 5 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly. Check the chicken reaches at least 75 C in the thickest part.
- 6
Warm your ready made cilantro lime rice (see the base recipe) until steaming hot all the way through and serve alongside.
Tips
- Use thighs on the bone. They stay juicy through the long simmer, while breast meat dries out.
- Brown the chicken well. This gives the sauce a deeper, roasted flavour.
- Cool and chill leftover rice quickly and reheat it only once.
Storing and freezing
Cool within 2 hours and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through. The chicken and sauce freeze well for 2 months, but the potatoes soften.
Questions
Can I use chicken breast?
Yes, but cut it into large chunks and simmer for only 15 minutes. Breast meat is leaner and dries out faster than thighs.
How spicy is it?
Medium. The salsa roja has warmth but the potato and the long simmer mellow it. Serve extra salsa or sliced fresh chilli at the table for more.
Can I make it in a slow cooker?
Yes. Brown the chicken first, then cook everything on low for 5 to 6 hours. The sauce will be thinner, so reduce it in a pan at the end.
More made with salsa roja (cooked red salsa)
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.